Time for Change
by AkdC
Summary: Mai changes a vital routine for everybody at Garderobe Academy.


"_Another ordinary day at Garderobe,_" Mai thought lazily. She was the current number one Coral student of the Star class. Their last class before lunchtime was up and she went to the cafeteria along with her other classmates, one of them is Natsuki Kruger, the Coral number two who came from the Republic of Aries.

"This day has been sure dragged, right Mai?" Natsuki asked her. Natsuki was quite taller to her by mere inches; she has blue hair and emerald green eyes. Mai, however, was not listening to her as they walked. She was thinking about something very deeply.

She entered the school as a student without any financial support coming from her family or her birth country, Zipang. In her first month, she was taking up every part time job she could find within the most powerful nation's capital, Wind City. She had tired herself up after classes from working at the near café. It was amazing how she could work for several hours and still find time to do her homework and make it as the top of her class. Eventually, the acting gakuenchou, Miss Maria Graceburt, had called her a week earlier that somebody would like to sponsor her. She was totally happy for this fact, even though she had no idea who he or she is.

"_I wonder who sponsored me to school… I hope I could see him one day or another,_" Mai thought.

Mai ran away from home to escape the royal life and to help her little brother, the crown prince Takumi Tokiha no Kami Tariyori. She entered Garderobe for answers to her boggling problems. She had kept her royalty status a secret from everybody, especially with her classmates and the school staff. Surely, if they had known it, she would be rushed by many and get unwanted attention.

Her thoughts only surrounded to her mysterious sponsor, until Natsuki broke her deep thoughts.

"Hello, Earl to Mai! Earl to Mai," Natsuki said, waving her hand to Mai's face to get her attention.

"Huh? What were you saying again, Natsuki?" Mai replied, awakened from her trance.

Natsuki made a "humph" to her and replied, "I said this day was boring."

"Every day _is_ boring to you. I find everyday's lessons amusing," Mai replied.

"If only I could ditch classes," Natsuki mumbled.

"Were you saying something?" Mai asked.

"N-n-no! Ehehe, maybe you were hearing something else," Natsuki reasoned out Mai. Before they knew it, they were on Garderobe's cafeteria.

It was quite a large room, having a seating capacity of almost one hundred people inclusive of the students (Pearl or Coral) and the school staff. The walls are painted with a creamy color. The windows had intricately designed silver frames; the chairs were made out of the finest oak wood and finish; several of her classmates were already there, it was because Corals have to cook the everyday lunch dishes before the last class before lunch was up, and they have to tend to their _onee-samas_ after that.

Mai grabbed a tray and went to the line, followed by Natsuki.

"Hey, Natsuki," Mai said. "Do you know what's for lunch?"

"I don't know," Natsuki responded. "I am not assigned for today's cooking. Probably that luscious beef steak… It takes good with mayonnaise!"

"Everything that has mayonnaise is delicious to _you_ Natsuki," Mai snapped at her friend, as she got her utensils. Natsuki pouted at her.

"Even if I am mayonnaise-holic Mai, I still want _my_ preferences to be treated equally with anybody else," she replied to her with a glare, as she grabbed her own utensils.

Mai could only heave a sigh and walked to the side dish tray and was given a Caesar salad. She walked for a bit and was given a beef steak that was rare. She was given a slice of mango cheesecake for dessert and a glass of orange juice. She proceeded to their usual table and sat at her usual seat.

On their table, Mai noticed Laula Bianchi, her blue, spiky haired friend hailing from Lutecia Remus; Carla Bellini, her small, pig-tailed friend coming from Lutecia Romulus; and Natsuki.

Carla had an excited look on her face. "Hey girls, what do you think of my cooking?"

"Well, let's see if it tastes good," Laula said to her. All of them reached for their knives and sliced to the meat. They started to eat this piece and chewed on it, trying to feel the food's texture and flavor.

"Mmm, it tastes good Carla!" Laula complimented her. Carla only showed her tongue a bit and replied shyly. "Actually, this was my first time to cook…"

"Really?" Natsuki said. "Wait, let me grab that bottle of mayonnaise over there."

"Good job, Carla," Mai said to her. In truth, they had been eating a routine of dishes. Whenever it's a Monday and Wednesday, they have grilled fish or Chicken a la King for the main course. Come Tuesdays and Thursday, it's the beef steak or pork steak. During Fridays, they serve a soup.

"_These foods… I'm getting satiated with these dishes,_" Mai thought, but nonetheless ate the food that was served to her. You'll never know when will you run out of food rations, after all.

As soon they were finished with eating, they piled up their trays and plates neatly and placed it in the blue basket near the kitchen's entrance, where the Corals who were assigned for the day would clean them up.

They passed the kitchen door when Natsuki noticed an announcement posted on it. The announcement stated the following:

_Assigned Corals for Tomorrow:_

_Tokiha, Mai_

_Kruger, Natsuki_

_Ajani, Yukiko_

_Kleinberg, Jenny_

_Fleischer, Catherine_

_Corals mentioned above are requested to come at the school kitchen around 11:00 in the morning._

"Oi, Mai," Natsuki called. Mai approached Natsuki.

"What is it?"

"Look at this," the blunette pointed at the announcement paper. The blunette groaned in despair. "We're going to be in the kitchen for tomorrow's cooking."

"That's fantastic!" Mai screamed in joy. She hadn't been chosen to cook for lunch meals in her duration and this was her first.

"Ugh, I don't feel like cooking at all," the blunette replied. She had a very frustrated look in her face depicting something.

"_I don't feel like cooking because I can't cook anything at all… besides instant ramen noodles,_" Natsuki thought in horror, imagining her burning the food that was in a pan.

"You don't have to worry, I'm there right?" Mai said to her.

Natsuki scratched her head. "I guess so…"

"Come on, girls! The next class would be starting in ten minutes," Laula told them.

"Coming!" The two ran together with their friends for their class.

* * *

_Next day…_

* * *

_Coral (Star Batch) Classroom_

Yukariko entered the Coral classroom on her period at eleven o'clock. She had brown hair that was kept short at her ears' length, and wore a dark bluish green robe. As soon as she got in her table, Laula stood up.

"Classmates, stand up," Laula said.

"Good morning, Yukariko-sensei," everybody chorused.

"Good morning to you too," Yukariko cheerfully replied. The students sat down after her response. She looked at her class, seeing the two front desks in the middle to be empty, together with three more at the back.

"It seems that Mai Tokiha, Natsuki Kruger and the others are not present," she stated.

"Sensei, they were assigned for the cooking of today's lunch," Laula replied to their teacher.

"Oh, so that would explain it," Yukariko replied. "I hadn't even see Mai or even Natsuki cook inside the kitchen in their stay here yet."

"Yes, sensei," Carla responded. "It will be their first to cook for the studentry!"

Yukariko nodded. "So then, shall we get started with our lesson?"

* * *

_Central Garden, Garderobe_

Natsuki stood under a beautiful, white arc that had a majestic view of the Academy's garden. Cool, land breeze rushed to her whole body, and she had been fond of it.

"Ara, what is Natsuki-chan doing here?" a hazel brunette inquired Natsuki. The young lady had eye-catching light crimson irises. Her uniform is cream in color. She was definitely older than Natsuki and stood several inches taller than the blunette.

"S-shizuru onee-sama," Natsuki said in shock. The blunette blushed and replied to Shizuru. "I took a break and went here to get some fresh air…"

"Didn't I tell you that you can call me Shizuru?"

"Didn't I also tell you that quite calling me 'Natsuki-chan'?"

"…"

"You're lying, Natsuki-chan," Shizuru replied with her mesmerizing smile. She knew Natsuki all too well.

Natsuki, on the other hand, blushed more and bowed her head. "S-shizuru…"

"You can tell me, Natsuki-chan. I will make sure that nobody will know this," Shizuru reassured her attendant. Yes, Natsuki was Shizuru's attendant after the fuss that happened for her claim.

"F-fine," Natsuki said, shifting her look into the wall, not even meeting Shizuru's eyes. "I ditched my cafeteria duties…"

"Ara, ara, that's very strange," Shizuru claimed. "Why did you—"

"So that's where you went!" a loud and energetic voice shouted. A blonde with violet irises, who was quite busty, entered the garden and went beside Shizuru. She also wore the same uniform Shizuru was wearing, only darker in color.

"It's you, Haruka-san," Shizuru replied calmly.

"Bubuzuke, what are you and your attendant doing here?" Haruka questioned in a feisty tone.

"We were discussing something important," Shizuru responded.

"Oh, I feel that this is something smell fleshy around here," Haruka said.

"Ara, ara, Haruka-san, you mean, fishy right?"

"Never mind that! I know that your room attendant is assigned in the kitchen. Her, being here, clearly states that she has been ditching this," Haruka said.

"Oh? Really?" Shizuru asked her classmate, convincing her that she has no idea.

"Yes, and she is coming along with me to the kitchen," Haruka said, grabbing Natsuki's right wrist.

Natsuki tried resisting Haruka's tight grip but Shizuru chopped Haruka's right wrist. Haruka released her hold to the blumette, holding her wrist in pain.

"What are you doing, bubuzuke?"

"Definitely, there is some other way you could take her to the kitchen, Haruka-san," Shizuru told her. She looked at Natsuki with a smile. "Come now, we're taking you to where you are supposed to be."

Natsuki could only nod despite she didn't like to go. Natsuki walked by Shizuru's side while Haruka walked behind them in anger.

Natsuki was given a light shove inside by Shizuru as they got in the kitchen.

"We'll be returning now to our class," Shizuru said. "What you corals would be cooking should be displayed in the board over there," she further added, pointing to her right. They departed from the kitchen and went back.

"Oh, Natsuki!" Mai said. "Where have you been? We were worried about you."

"Uh, well… Let's say I've gotten lost on my way here," Natsuki lied.

"That's impossible, you're already here for several months ahead of me, and still you don't know your way here?"

Natsuki sniffed. "What''s that you're cooking Mai?" Natsuki asked her orange-haired friend.

"It's just a mushroom soup… Wait, don't try to sway the subject of this conversation," Mai snapped at her. "You're already late for more than half an hour. How do you explain this?"

"Well… I guess there's no point in lying," Natsuki murmured. "I ditched."

"Why?"

"I've already done this every time I was assigned," Natsuki explained. "Besides, I'm a bad cook."

Mai folded her arms. She said to Natsuki, "Didn't I tell you that I'm here? Don't worry, I will tell you what to do." She went to the stove she was previously working on and got a spoon from the utensils. She got a spoonful of the soup and tasted it.

"Hmm… Needs a little bit of salt and pepper," Mai concurred. "Natsuki, would you be so kind to reach the salt and pepper for me?"

Natsuki groaned. "Okay…" She went to the cupboard and grabbed the pepper cracker and the salt. She gave to Mai as she looked at her friend cook.

Mai twisted the cracker and added a small amount of salt to the pot. She got another sample of the soup and held the spoon in front of Natsuki.

"Why don't you taste it for me, Natsuki? Tell me how it tastes," Mai said. Natsuki nodded and opened her mouth as Mai poured the contents of the spoon. Natsuki tried savoring the soup's flavors.

"Wow Mai, this tastes good! Are you sure you cooked this by yourself?"

"Well, for the most part I did… Our classmates helped too, you know," Mai embarrassingly replied. Natsuki peeked at the pot with the simmering mushroom soup. She noticed the mushrooms to be a little different.

"Where did you get these mushrooms, Mai?"

Mai looked at her and replied, "I got them from the garden. They grew in a small, moist and dark place in this academy. I checked it, but they weren't even registered in the registry of mushrooms. I ate one and I didn't experience any pain, so I concluded that it was safe to be eaten."

"Oh so that's it… Wait a minute, you mean you found these by yourself?"

Mai nodded. "Yes, I found them while walking back from the café."

"I have a brilliant idea," Natsuki said. "We can call this, 'Tokiha Mushroom Soup' after you!"

"H-huh?" Mai said. She made a very disturbed face. "_Don't embarrass me right now, Natsuki!_"

Natsuki suddenly glanced to the board of what to cook for today. She noticed the writings on it.

_For Today's Lunch:_

_Clam Chowder  
Mashed Potatoes  
Plum pudding_

"Mai! What did you do?" Natsuki shrieked in horror.

"W-what is it this time?"

"Did you not heed the writings on that board?"

"Why? I'm quite tired with chowders, steaks and silly soups… And would anybody notice that I changed the main course? No one," Mai reasoned out coolly.

"What if the—"Natsuki gulped before continuing—"gakuenchou finds out?"

"N-now that you say it," Mai said. "I've never thought of the consequences!"

"W-what?" Natsuki just shouted.

"And what if the gakuenchou knew?" an aged voice asked. Natsuki and Mai turned around slowly in fear. They saw an aged woman, with wrinkles to her face; her hair was grayish but her eyes looks like young. She wore a dark gray robe and had a sharp look to the red head and the blunette.

"M-miss Maria," Mai and Natsuki said.

"What is this commotion all about?" Miss Maria inquired.

"Miss Maria, Mai changed the main course for today's lunch!" Natsuki said without any hesitation.

"N-natsuki! How can you do this to me," Mai whispered to her friend. Miss Maria glared to Mai's direction.

"You," the aged one said. "You changed the main course for today?"

Mai could only nod in fear. The students fear Miss Maria's furious wrath. Miss Maria went near to the pot with the mushroom soup. She got a spoon and got a spoonful. She tasted its flavors.

"You have no more time to cook another main course," Miss Maria said sternly. "It would be such a waste to throw this away. So everybody has to stick with this for now. This time, you have slipped by, Mai Tokiha. The next time you do this, you will _be_ penalized for good. Understood?"

"Y-yes, Miss Maria," Mai replied shyly.

* * *

_Later…_

"Wow, this mushroom soup is amazing! Who cooked this?" Carla said.

"It was Mai who cooked that," Natsuki replied before Mai could. "We call it the 'Tokiha Mushroom Soup'."

"It sure does relax our body and mind, but not enough to make us sleepy," Laula affirmed.

"Gee, thanks…" Mai replied. "_But what a fuss did we got ourselves before it was even accepted by Miss Maria..._"

* * *

_That evening…_

Mai sat down to her shared study table with Natsuki. She wore her orange pajama set and silently turned on the lamp. She looked at Natsuki. She was in deep sleep, covered in warmers. She got a pen and paper and laid it out on their desk.

"_I have to write this letter, it's still part of the sponsorship conditions,_" Mai thought to herself.

"_Dear kind Sir,_" Mai began to write.

_ I decided to call you that way because you were so generous to sponsor me in this prestigious school and from your handwriting, you are a man. Everything has been working out fine. I'm performing much better in my studies because of your timely aid, kind Sir! I'm quite proud to say that I am at the top of my class, the Coral number one._

_ Well, this week, Yukariko-sensei taught us several activities that women like us do like sewing, and washing clothes. It was quite detailed for such a small topic._

_ Today, I was assigned together with my roommate and best friend, Natsuki Kruger, to cook for today's lunch. She made quite a ruckus about my cooking. She kept saying that it was delicious and all… She even made a name for the soup I made! She called it "Tokiha Mushroom Soup" and I'm quite disturbed that she even had the nerve to give the food a name where she didn't participate at all! Plus, she got me into trouble by telling it to Miss Maria! It was a good thing though, that Miss Maria permitted my soup for today. I almost got the heart attack for that part._

_ Last week, a butou or a dance battle was held between Shizuru onee-sama and Haruka onee-sama for the claim of who will be their official room attendant. It was sure a tight battle, sir! I thought Haruka onee-sama would win but Shizuru onee-sama made a move that declared her the winner. I'm attending now for Haruka Armitage onee-sama while Natsuki attends for Shizuru Viola onee-sama._

_ Sir, I would promise that I will take care of myself while studying here. I have such good friends here and I've developed at lot from them. I hope and wish that we could see each other at the academy so I could thank you personally! I will inform you when I will be performing a butou. I will dedicate that battle for you kind Sir!_

_ Sincerely,  
Mai Tokiha_

Mai finished her letter and inserted it into an envelope with a tomoe symbol on the back. She sealed the letter and kept in one of her books.

What Mai doesn't know that Natsuki was watching her all that time.

"_Mai's writing a letter to her lover? Could it be her sponsor that she's sending that letter?_"

* * *

_End_

* * *

_Good day, folks! So, I browsed a forum concerning about Mai-HiME/Mai-Otome fandom when these words came to my eye: Tokiha Mushroom. I wondered how it started. They even served it in Arika's time! I thought I could write this for some answer. I hope you enjoyed reading! Read and Review please._


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